(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that is connected to a terminal device via a network and receives a remote login from the terminal device, and to an image processing system including such an image processing apparatus.
(2) Description of the Related Art
An image processing system with a remote panel function has been proposed. This image processing system includes a photocopier (an example of an image processing apparatus) and a personal computer or PC (an example of a terminal device) that are connected to each other via a network. The remote panel function enables a user of the PC to remotely log in to the photocopier from the PC via the network, and remotely operate the photocopier from the PC. While the user of the PC is remotely logged in to the photocopier, the remote panel function allows displaying, onto the display of the PC, an operation screen that is substantially identical to an operation panel of the photocopier. This way, the user of the PC can input a job (copy, scan, etc.) and execution conditions for executing the job (selecting a printing sheet, etc.) via the operation screen, to cause the photocopier to execute the job. That is, the user of the PC can instruct the photocopier to execute the job from the PC, as if the user is operating the photocopier right in front of the photocopier.
The above-described remote panel function also makes it possible to cause the photocopier to execute printing based on a file (an image, etc.) stored in a recording medium connected to the PC using, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) (hereinafter, the recording medium is called “USE memory”, and this type of printing is referred to as “memory printing”). In order to execute memory printing from the PC, the user needs to remotely log in to the photocopier, then perform various operations (selecting a printing sheet, etc.) via the operation screen displayed on the display of the PC.
At this time, if a printing sheet of a desired size is not set in the photocopier, the user needs to suspend the input operation on the PC, go to the front of the photocopier, and set a printing sheet of the desired size in the photocopier.
Once the printing sheet has been set, the user must return to the PC and resume the operation for the memory printing, which had been suspended. Upon execution of the printing, the printed sheet is output. Thereafter, the user again needs to go to the photocopier to pick up the output printed sheet. Having to take such a back-and-forth trip is a hassle for the user. One way to avoid this hassle is to abandon the remotely-operated memory printing, and instead to execute printing by operating the photocopier right in front of the photocopier, using another method different from the remote operation. For example, one possible method is to utilize a pull printing function of the photocopier.
The pull printing function allows the user who is at the photocopier to (i) acquire an image file that is shared between the photocopier and the PC using known file-sharing protocol, such as Server Message Block (SMB) protocol, and (ii) execute printing based on the acquired image file. When the pull printing function is selected, the operation panel of the photocopier displays a screen for accessing the PC.
Then, the user needs to input the following information via the screen displayed on the operation panel: a network address of the PC, a user name and a password that are used when logging in to the PC, etc. However, the problem is, the user cannot perform this input operation unless he/she knows necessary information (e.g., the network address of the PC). Moreover, even if the user knows such necessary information, the following problem still exists. In general, an operation panel of a photocopier only has number buttons. To input characters such as alphabets, the user has to cause a liquid crystal display to show a touchscreen via which he/she can input alphabets. Therefore, every time the user attempts to input different information (the network address of the PC, the user name, etc.), the user must not only switch between different input screens, but also input characters by touching them one by one. Such an input operation is a troublesome task.
The above problems are not only byproducts of memory printing. The above problems also occur when remotely executing a scan job, or more specifically, in the following case.
To execute a scan job, a user performs the following operations at the PC: (i) selecting a scan job via a remote panel; (ii) specifying a recording medium loaded in the PC, into which an image data to be read should be stored, and (iii) inputting a level of darkness at which the document should be read, etc. Thereafter, the user (i) goes to the photocopier, (ii) sets the document on a scanner of the photocopier, (iii) returns to the PC, and (iv) starts the scan job via the remote panel. Consequently, data of the image read by the scanner of the photocopier is transmitted to the PC and stored into the recording medium loaded in the PC.
When following the above procedure, there may be a case where the user, who has come to the photocopier, needs to go to a location different from a location of the PC. In this case, once the document has been set, it is preferable that the user start the scan job at the photocopier without returning to the PC, and after the document has been read, head to said different location, carrying the document with him/her. One way to execute the scan job without the user returning to the PC is to use a method called Scan To SMB. As with the aforementioned pull printing, the Scan To SMB enables the user to specify a recording medium loaded in the PC as a file into which a read image should be stored, in accordance with share settings that are in effect between the photocopier and the PC. However, the Scan To SMB also requires the user to go to the trouble of performing the same input operation as in the case of the aforementioned pull printing.